Stocking-holder for use in darning.



A..P.. COLLINS. swocxme HOLDER FOR usn m DARNING.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 28, 1910.

Patented July 11, 1911.

ALBERT F. COLLINS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STOCKING-HOLDER FOR USE IN DARNING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed September 28, 1910. Serial No. 584,205.

- To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT F. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepinand State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stocking- Holders for Use in Darning; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved stocking holder for use in darning with a sewing machine. The holder is, however, capable of a more general use.

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved holder some parts being broken away and some parts being diagrammatically indicated by dotted lines only; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line m x of Fig. 1, showing also a portion of the stocking held by the device; and, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing an elastic clamp band of novel construction which constitutes a part of the holder and some parts of which are indicated diagrammatically by dotted lines only.

The improved device comprises two members, to-wit, a hoop or an annular inner re sisting member and an elastic outer or clamping member. The former is preferably stamped from a single piece of thin sheet steel, or other sheet material, and is bent to form the hoop body 1, with an outwardly project-ing lower flange 2 and upwardly project-ing prongs 3, the upper end of which prongs are turned outward. The body portion of the prongs 3 extend approximately in vertical line with the outer edge of the flange 2, and a seat 4, holding the stocking or work 5, is formed partly by the hoop ant its flange 2, and partly by bending the prongs 3, as indicated at 6, at points just above the place where they join the upper edge of the hoop 1. By referring partly to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the upper edge of the hoop 1 extends only about half way between the bottom and top of the seat 4. This is done for an important reason which will presently appear;

The outer or clamping member is in the form of an elastic band, which is preferably of a novel construction disclosed and broadly V claimed in my co-pending application filed of date September 28, 1910, under S. N. 584,206 and entitled Embroidery holder. For the purpose of this case, it is only necessary tonote that the said elastic clamping band is made up of an endless coiled spring 7 and an expansible reinforcing hoop or wire 8, which latter is passed axially through the former and serves to prevent the said spring from buckling when removed from the annular body member, or hoop.

\Vhen that portion of the stocking, which is to be darned, is stretched over the flange 2 of the hoop body 1,- the body of the stocking will be rolled onto the prongs 3 and held, substantially as shown in Fig. 2. The stocking is held to the hoop by the application of the elastic clamping band which tightly forces the same into the seat 4 and against the body and flange of the hoop, and against the crooked seat forming portions of the said prongs 3. lVhen the work is to be placed under the needle of a sewing machine, the rolled portion thereof should be first drawn and flattened out. The lowness of the upper edge of the hoop 1 adapts the device to be readily positioned by sliding it under the raised point of the needle, but without removing the needle from the needle bar of the machine. This lowness of the upper edge of the hoop also permits the elastic band to be readily removed from the hoop, simply by application of the fingers thereto just above the upper edge of the said hoop. Furthermore, the upper edge of the hoop is so positioned that, at points between the prongs 3 the elastic band will force the stocking directly against the same and thereby very securely hold the stocking tightly stretched over the hoop flange 2.

The holder described may be constructed with small cost, and, as has been demonstrated in practice, is highly eflicient for the purposes had in view. It has no parts that are liable to get out of order or be broken, and does not cut, tear, or otherwise, damage the stocking or other work which is applied thereto.

What I claim is:

A stocking darner comprising a hoop having a projecting flange at its lower edge, and provided at its upper edge With up wardly extended prongs, which prongs, just above the upper edge of said hoop, are bent upwardly and outwardly, for cooperation with the said flanged hoop, to form a seat for the Work, in combination with an elastic band made up of an endless coiled spring and an'expansible stifi'ening wire or hoop extended axially within said spring, and

ALBERT F. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

BERNICE G. WHEELER, HARRY D. KILGORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

